Zork I: The Great Underground Empire

Posted by Karen Tyers.
First posted on 10 May 1998. Last updated on 15 May 2014.
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Zork I: The Great Underground Empire (or Zork: The Great Underground Empire) is the original Zork game that starts it all. Back in the era of interactive fiction, everybody is writing games that try to compare to it but most fail miserably. Since then, this game has risen to become the poster child of text adventure.

The story of Zork takes place in the ruins of an ancient empire lying far…

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Fair

I liked your site.

United States By Rob Miller • On 01 May 2010 • From Somewhere

Excellent

I use to play this game till I had to get the kids up for school,could not go to bed and leave the game.The only thing I really remember about the game is being on a staircase,and of course going to the mailbox to get clues. Is there a way to get on my computer. Thanks

United States By nita condit • On 10 March 2008 • From Colorado Springs Co

Excellent

There is a trick to die and then be "reborn" so to speak but the score you currently have is decrease by 10 when you die so being "reborn" will not allow you to complete the game with all possible points.

To be "reborn" you must first die! (XD duh...)
Then it will say you are in hell or something.
Type the command 'up' then press enter and you are in a cave.
Then just go to the alter room and pray at the alter and you can continue playing like before, but your items (that are not in the case) will be scattered above and below ground.

Commands after dieing: u, n, n, n, se, e, d, s, pray.
zork version I did it with: Revison 88 / Serial # 840726

United States By Scott Williams • On 01 June 2007 • From United States of America

Very Good

Infidel was actually the first Infocom game I played, but Zork I soon followed. It's a bit dated by todays standards, but nonetheless, it's still as atmospheric as ever, and a game that I enjoy going back to - again and again...

Denmark By Jens • On 22 May 2007 • From Denmark

Would like to correspond with any other Zork fans in the UK, maybe exchange games, hints, thoughts .. never did get out of Hell in that first text game ...

Great Britain (UK) By Caroline Gardiner • On 14 May 2005 • From London, England

Can I run this game on my new computer. It is running microsoft XP?
thanks

United States By Donna • On 22 August 2003 • From Little Rock, AR USA

Bring back the interface.
I must say I prefered the first Zork, with no graphics. It left room for imagination and the answers were very humorous!

By caroline • On 01 August 2002 • From Somewhere

Though Zork 1 is still my favorite, there is one very linear puzzle that drove me nuts for the longest time, and when I found the answer from a cheat book, I had to start the game over.
There doesn't seem to be very much of a clue, and I never would have thought, that the only way to get the Jewel-encrusted egg open was to let the Thief steal it. I had put the egg in the trophy case right away, then killed the thief late in the game, then saved the game! Dead-end, progress blocked.
This entry is private lest I give away the answer to any late-coming or nostalgic text-adventure players.
S.E.

By Steve E • On 27 April 2002 • From Somewhere

Digging in the sand is a constant. You always dig four times to get the scarab. A fifth dig always causes death.

The annoying random deaths can occur taking on the troll or encountering the thief early in the game. However, I've been playing these old Zork games recently by using the Frotz program (from ZTUU) on the DAT files so if I get killed unexpectedly by either of these 2 guys, I simply undo.

By Steve E • On 21 April 2002 • From Somewhere

Long, long time ago, I played Zork on old PC using only text version. Even had to type how to kill the troll with the sword. Now, when you're only nine years old, you can only type so fast! Would like to find it again. Will take any comments any will have to offer.......

Brady
jbrady5150@aol.com

By Brady • On 20 April 2002 • From Fargo, ND USA
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